The Class Trip
by TheSparkler
Summary: When the yearly class trip goes awry, it is up to Ladybug and Chat Noir to save the class and set things right!
1. The Vote

"Alright, class. It's time to decide where we're going for our class field trip this year. Has everyone submitted their ideas?"

The class nodded and murmured in agreement. They had spent all week coming up with ideas, and today they were going to vote on them. Marinette, as class representative, would take the slips home and tally them up, then bring back the results the next day.

Ms. Bustier handed out the slips, then walked back to her desk. Almost every student had submitted an idea; Nino wanted to go to a concert, Nathan asked to go to the art museum, and Chloe (to no one's surprise) suggested a trip to the mall.

Marinette, who hadn't submitted anything herself, looked over the list and filled in the bubble next to Nathan's idea. _I've never been to that museum before. It would be fun! And maybe I could hang out with Adrien…_

"What are you voting for?" asked Alya, trying to look over her shoulder. Marinette covered her slip with her hand, not wanting Alya to know that Marinette wasn't voting for her friend's idea (she wasn't much of a bowler, even with bumpers).

"It's supposed to be anonymous," Marinette whispered. She folded the paper in half before taking it up to the teacher's desk. After everyone had turned in their votes, Ms. Bustier put them into a large envelope.

"Remember to bring these back soon so that we can start making arrangements," she reminded as she handed Marinette the envelope. "I'm sure the whole class is eager to hear where we will be going."

"Absolutely," Marinette assured. "You can count on me!"

Later, Marinette and Alya left the school and walked down the front steps together.

"I so wish I could help you, girl!" said Alya, nudging Marinette's shoulder. "I can't believe that I have to babysit my cousin tonight. Tonight! Why not tomorrow? Why not yesterday? But nooooo, it had to be tonight." Marinette laughed at her friend's dramatics as they went their separate ways.

"I'll let you know how it turns out!" she called as she walked toward the bakery. Marinette was pretty excited herself. Last year's trip to the pool had been a disaster (but that was a whole different story), and she was looking forward to having a good field trip this year

* * *

Marinette quickly climbed the stairs to her room and dropped her purse on her desk.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry Tikki!" she gasped, making sure her kwami was okay. "I'm just eager to tally up the votes – I can't wait to see where we're going!"

She sat on the floor and opened the envelope to pull out the slips. Tikki flew over and sat on Marinette's shoulder to watch her work. The dark-haired girl sorted out the papers, making piles based on the bubbles that were filled in. There were votes for almost every place that had been suggested, including Chloe and Sabrina for the mall (fortunately, they were the only ones). After sorting them all out, she moved the piles that only had one paper in them, then went to work counting the rest. It was close, but Max's suggestion won by two votes.

Marinette wrote down the numbers for each vote, them circled the winner. She sat back on her hands and looked down at the paper with Tikki.

"Are you ready for this, Marinette?"

Her charge sighed.

"You know, maybe bowling wouldn't have been so bad…" She smiled. "At least I'll be able to spend the day with Adrien!"

* * *

The next day, Marinette went straight to Ms. Bustier.

"Here are the slips," she said, handing the envelope to her teacher. Ms. Bustier pulled out the paper with the numbers of the votes. She quickly scanned through them and smiled when she got to the winner.

"This is excellent, Marinette. I will announce the winner in class this morning. Thank you for getting it back to me right away!"

Marinette nodded and tripped up the stairs to her seat. She was soon joined by Alya, who was buzzing with excitement (Marinette had called her last night with the news).

"I can't wait for this trip!" the brunette bubbled, catching the attention of Nino and Adrien in front of them.

"Where are we going?" asked Nino, looking from an enthusiastic Alya to the less-than-thrilled Marinette. The dark-haired girl opened her mouth to tell them, when their teacher called for their attention.

"Class, thanks to your representative's quick work, I am pleased to announce where we are going for our class trip."

"For our field trip this year, we are going to the…"

 **Want to know where they're going? Follow me on Twitter (TheOneWhoSparks) for hints and clues! Let me know in the comments where you think the class is going - happy reading!**

 **(P.S. To clarify, it is NOT the Eiffel Tower, as the picture may suggest. Keep guessing!)**


	2. Anyone Else See That?

**Hey guys! While no one got the correct location at the end of the last chapter, props to user 'AkumatizedPancake' for the best guess! Go check out her stories (they are fantastic) and her Instagram under the same name. Happy reading!**

* * *

"For our field trip this year, we're going to the… zoo!"

Max whooped from the back of the room, sparking laughter from the rest of the class.

"Alright!" cheered Nino, pumping his fist in the air. Through all the excitement, no one seemed to notice Adrien slipping down in his seat. _Why did it have to be the zoo? Did no one remember Animan? He ATE Ladybug!_

The classroom buzzed for the rest of the morning, and Ms. Bustier sent them to lunch early after many failed attempts to get them to focus. Adrien and Nino ate quickly and went to the soccer field to kick a ball back and forth before they had to go back to class.

"Dude, I am so pumped!" shouted Nino from across the field. "I love the zoo! Cool animals AND I get to listen to my music all day!"

"Yeah," Adrien called half-heartedly. "Love the zoo…"

"Are you okay man?" asked Nino as they walked back to class. "You seem pretty down today."

"I'm fine!" lied the blond, snapping out of his thoughts. "I just have some bad memories of the zoo, is all."

"Is this about the time I met up with Marinette and you talked me through it? I promise you won't have to sit in the bushes this time," Nino joked, bumping his shoulder lightly against his friend's arm.

"Gee thanks!" Adrien replied, shoving him back. _I'll take bushes over an akuma any day!_

When they got back to the classroom, Nino turned to talk to Alya about what they should do on the trip. Adrien twisted around to listen, and noticed that Marinette had a blank look on her face that matched his lack of enthusiasm.

"Marinette, where do you think we should start?"

"Huh?" she said, jumping a little before answering her friend. "Wherever you guys want will be fine with me!"

"Girl, are you okay?" Alya looked a little worried. "You look a little out of it."

"I'm fine, really!" squeaked Marinette, glancing at Adrien and quickly looking away. "I just don't go to the zoo very much, that's all."

"Okay…" Alya seemed hesitant, but didn't pry any further. She turned back to Nino and talked excitedly, waving her arms wildly. Adrien nodded along and pretended to listen, but discreetly kept an eye on Marinette. When Ms. Bustier called for their attention, he reluctantly turned back around, but glanced behind him every once in a while, to make sure that the dark-haired girl was okay. Marinette stayed quiet for the rest of the day, and left quickly once they were dismissed. Alya went with her, paperwork in hand to start planning the trip.

* * *

Once home, Adrien dumped his backpack on his bed and sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Why are you so worried?" said Plagg lazily, as he floated out of the bag. "The zoo is fun!"

"Not after the akuma attack that started there," mumbled Adrien, thinking back to the shape-shifting zoo keeper intent on getting revenge against Kim. "We almost didn't get out of that one in one piece, remember?" _Has it really been four months since that attack?_

"So what?" Plagg replied, landing lightly on the computer keyboard. "Ladybug knew what she was doing. It's not like she was in any real danger."

The boy dropped heavily onto his bed and put his head in his hands. "I know, I know! It's just terrifying to think that I almost lost the girl I like to a DINOSAUR without knowing who she was!"

The kwami flew over to his charge, and landed on his shoulder. "Do you know what you should do?"

Adrien lifted his head to look at him. "What?"

"Get me some cheese!"

* * *

Thanks to Marinette and Alya, the plans were arranged quickly, and the trip was set for the very next week. It took Adrien three days to convince his father, and thanks to a call from Ms. Bustier, he was allowed to go.

"Ready, Plagg?"

"Why do I have to go?" Plagg whined, rolling over on Adrien's pillow. "I'm tired!"

Adrien shook his head at the lazy kwami and scooped him up, dropping him into the outer pocket of his bag. "You can sleep on the way there. Besides, you never know when an akuma will strike!" _Here's hoping they don't!_

The car dropped him off outside the school, and Adrien felt a moment of excitement at the sight of the large yellow school bus that was waiting for him. He climbed the steps quickly and spotted Nino waving at him from the back of the bus.

"Dude, you came!" Nino shouted, patting his friend on the back. "We were worried your old man wouldn't let you!".

"Yeah, well," Adrien replied, carefully setting his backpack on the ground between his feet. "I may not be as pumped about the zoo as you are, but I do love getting out of the house!"

The bus quickly got underway, and they made it to the zoo just in time for opening. Alya got a map from the entrance, and headed to the reptile house with Marinette, Nino, and Adrien in tow. They wandered through the exhibits, Nino and Alya talked adamantly and Marinette and Adrien following behind.

"Hey, look Nino! That's where Ladybug shut us in the day of the Animan attack!"

"Yea! Man, she's so cool. Don't you think, Adrien?"

"She's the coolest," replied Adrien dreamily. He glanced up to find Marinette watching him with an odd expression on her face.

"Do you really think so?" she asked shyly, looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

He ran his hand awkwardly through his hair. "Yeah, I mean…she's amazing, you know? With all the saving people…and…stuff." _Real smooth, Adrien, real smooth._

Marinette half smiled, then turned to listen to what Alya was saying to her. Adrien could hear Plagg snickering from his jacket, where he had moved to when the backpack had grown too hot. Adrien ducked around the corner of the building and looked at the black figure curled up in his pocket.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You…" Plagg snorted, "you just stammered on about Ladybug…in public!"

Adrien shook his head and tucked the kwami back into his pocket, then slipped back around to rejoin his friends.

After a while, they made their way to the middle of the zoo, where the class was meeting up for lunch.

"Hello, class! How is everyone's day so far?" Their teacher asked.

There was a chorus of responses as everyone found a spot to sit on the grass and talked about their morning.

"Did you see the tiger?"

"Yeah! And the bears? They were so cool!"

"Uhhh, guys? Does anyone else see the giraffe?"

Adrien turned toward Nino to find his friend staring across the grassy park toward the large fountain – the large fountain with a large giraffe drinking out of it.

Ms. Bustier looked up as an announcement came over the zoo's speakers.

"Attention park guests, there has been a malfunction in part of the gate security system. Please remain calm and go to the nearest building until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation."

Their teacher instantly went into action. "Hurry class, and stay together!"

She moved them all quickly into the nearby small mammal house – all but two.

"Plagg!"

"Tikki!"

"Claws out!"

"Spots on!"


	3. Throwing Shade

**Hey guys! I'm a zoo nerd, so if you find an unfamiliar word or phrase, don't hesitate to ask and I will be happy to explain!**

* * *

Ladybug threw her yo-yo and landed on the roof of a nearby building. Scanning the park below, she saw a woman in a suit moving quickly toward the front entrance.

 _The zoo's director!_ she thought. The red-clad hero swung into the woman's path, who jumped at the teen's sudden appearance.

"Oh Ladybug, thank goodness you're here! Part of our computer system crashed and signaled several gates to open, releasing multiple species from their enclosures. We've managed to secure most of them, but there are still some animals loose on the grounds. Is there any way you and Chat Noir can help us return them safely?"

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug looked over her shoulder and started. "Chat! What did we say about sneaking up on people?!"

Her partner smiled, standing with his baton across his shoulders and his arms looped causally over the ends. "And here I thought you were a ladybug!" He ducked her swing at his shoulder, then put his baton on the ground like a cane and turned to the director.

"What can we do to help?"

The woman sighed in relief, then drew up her shoulders and began giving directions to those around her. After sending off several zoo keepers and the curator, she turned to the heroes. "Is there any way you can herd the African animals back to their enclosures? The lions are secure, but our female black rhinoceros, the zebra herd, and several giraffes are still loose."

"We're on it!" Ladybug assured. The director handed her a radio to contact the keepers when the animals were found, which Ladybug passed to Chat Noir to keep in his pocket. They moved to a nearby rooftop to begin forming a plan.

"Alright, Bugaboo. First, we've got to find our missing animals," said Chat, looking out over the zoo.

"Umm, Chat?" asked Ladybug, tapping him on the shoulder. "I _think_ I might have found them."

Noir turned to where she was pointing and found himself looking at a mess of stripes.

"Fantastic! Now…how do we catch them?"

Ladybug crouched down to think. Taking the radio from her partner, she tuned it to the zebra keepers and clicked it on. "Ladybug here! Where is the entrance to the zebra enclosure? We have located the animals and are working on how to move them."

"Ladybug? The gate is on the south side of the enclosure, and we are moving into position to receive them. Have you located all 17 animals?"

"Uhhh…working on it!" She tossed the radio back to Chat, who zipped it back into his front pocket. "How on earth are we supposed to COUNT them?!"

"I think we should worry about how to move them first – before they move themselves!"

The herd was in motion, flowing in and around each other as though they were one.

"Chat, their food! What do zebras eat?"

"I'm on it!" Noir pushed off with his baton and jumped from roof to roof, disappearing into the animals' enclosure. He soon reappeared, holding a large net of hay. Ladybug's yo-yo chimed, and she slid it open to see her partner's face.

"I found the gate, you just have to get them moving toward me and I'll lure them in!"

"Did you alert the keepers?" she asked, her mind racing.

"They're ready and waiting for our signal, m'lady," he purred, and she saw him bow to her from across the park.

Shaking her head, she jumped off the roof and landed beside the herd.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered, readying herself.

"Time for dinner!" she yelled, springing forward at the herd of brown-and-white, and spinning her yo-yo in a blur. The sudden noise and motion startled the group, sending them running away from the spinning red object – and directly toward Chat Noir.

"Incoming!" she heard him yell. _He must be signaling the workers,_ she thought, following the herd to keep them moving in the right direction. The zebra, spurred on by sight of the food, quickly made their way through the gate and into their enclosure. Once they were secure, Ladybug joined her partner on the fencing around them, and after several attempts, managed to count the confusing array of hoofstock.

"All 17 animals, present and accounted for!" she called, and received a wave from the keepers to let her know that they understood.

Chat Noir pulled out the radio and quickly called the director to tell her that the animals were secured.

"Next step," he said, zipping up his pocket, "giraffes!"

They found three of the zoo's giraffes at the fountain, and the remaining two milling around in Asia. Using the same combination of food and noise, they moved the group safely back to where they belonged, and secured the gates with the help of the keepers.

"All right," said Chat, as he landed beside Ladybug on the roof of the aquarium. "Now all we have left is that rhino!" A squawk from the radio told them that all of the other loose animals had been found and returned, and it was now up to them to finish putting things right.

* * *

The tired duo moved from roof to roof, looking around every corner and under every tree for their missing pachyderm. After almost 20 minutes of searching, Ladybug spotting a shaking bush near the edge of Australia. Upon closer inspection, she found a dark-colored horn mixed in with the swaying branches. "I found her!" _Thank goodness! Ms. Bustier is bound to notice that I'm missing soon – if she hasn't already!_

Swinging into a nearby tree, she got into position behind the large animal as Chat Noir took his place toward the front with fruit from the rhino's enclosure. With a nod, she dropped loudly to the ground, expecting the rhino to lurch forward in the same manner as the previous two groups. Instead, the tough-skinned black turned toward the spotted heroine and moved forward in the beginning of a charge. Ladybug flung her yo-yo upward, and managed to avoid the horn of the angry animal by a hair as she flew back into the tree. She moved quickly to where Chat was crouched, ready to run.

"That was way to close, LB."

"You're telling me! Something's off here," Ladybug explained as she watched the rhino retreat back into her hiding place. "She seems determined to stay where she is. I think we'd better consult the director before someone gets hurt."

Chat radioed the front gate and learned that the woman in charge was still there. The pair rapidly retraced their steps, and landed on the sidewalk near the entrance. The zoo director came out to meet them and talk about what to do.

"I should have warned you about this. Black rhinos have very poor eyesight and will often charge as a defense at things that they don't understand. However, this particular female has been very food-motivated for the last several months, so I don't understand why she ignored the large amount of fruit that you offered her. As a large pachyderm, she is one of our code red animals, and must be secured as soon as possible so that we can begin damage control of the property and release the public from the lockdown inside the buildings."

The director pulled out her radio and called the veterinarian, who came with a large black case in hand.

"This is a tranquilizer gun," the vet explained, unlocking the case. "And this is a tranquilizer dart designed for large animals, such a rhino or an elephant," he continued, showing them the sleek, feathered canister. "We'll have you try your method again, but if it doesn't work, we will need to sedate the animal in order to move her safely."

Ladybug, feeling a little uneasy, agreed to the plan. Noir passed her the radio and looped the arm of the vet around his shoulders, holding onto the man as they made their way back to the half-hidden animal.

Leaving the slightly nauseous veterinarian on the rooftop with Chat, Ladybug slipped back into the tree and climbed higher than the first time, looking for a better viewpoint. She hung precariously from a branch and used her yo-yo to zoom in on the scene below her. _Was that… it is!_

She crawled hurriedly backward toward the trunk of the tree and called her partner.

"Ladybug?"

"Chat! I know why she won't move! She isn't alone!"

"What are you talking about? The zoo only has one rhino!"

"Not anymore!" she said excitedly, panning the camera to the shape in the bushes… or _shapes_ , as was now the case.

"Woah! Do you know about this?" Chat asked the vet, showing him the image that Ladybug was sending.

The man adjusted his glasses, half-convinced he was seeing things. "We brought in a male early last year as part of the Species Survival Plan*, but at eight years old he was still pretty young, so we weren't expecting much!"

Ladybug smiled at his reaction. "With only one tranquilizer dart, it looks like it's time for plan B – lucky charm!"

She reached out to catch the falling black-and-red object, and almost dropped it because of its weight.

"A giant umbrella?"

"That would be great if it was raining, LB, but it won't do us much good in this sun!"

Ladybug scanned the area, thinking fast.

"I've got it! Chat, get that food ready!"

She jumped quickly from the tree to the cable car above her and opened the umbrella, creating a large square of shade on the ground below her. Chat Noir shook the bag of food and called, and almost fell off the roof in amazement as the rhino left her hiding place – with her newborn calf in tow. The animals moved into the shaded patch and stopped. Ladybug switched cars, and the pair underneath moved with the shade, feeling secure away from the sunlight. Jumping from car to car with Chat ahead of her, they moved the rhinos slowly but surely back into their exhibit, where the waiting keepers closed and secured the gates.

* * *

Chat, having retrieved the veterinarian from the rooftop, landed lightly beside his partner at the front entrance.

"Well done!" congratulated the director, breathing a huge sigh of relief. "Now all we have to do is clean up," she added, scanning the trampled grounds in front of her.

"Don't worry about that!" assured Ladybug, turning to Chat. "A little help?"

Together, they flung the umbrella into the air above them.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Pound it!"

As the spinning light finished repairing the damage left by the stampeding animals, Ladybug's earrings started to beep.

"Better go!" she leaped across the rooftops to the small animal building, and landed out of sight around the corner just as her transformation wore off. The main doors to the building opened, and Marinette hurried to re-join her class as soon as Tikki was safely out of sight.

"Marinette!" Alya called, crushing her in a hug. "Where were you?!"

"I…went to the wrong building!" she said, looking around. "Where's Nino and Adrien?"

"There you are!" called Nino, spotting the blond in the crowd. After giving his wild-looking friend a high-five, they followed the girls out to the sidewalk.

Once everyone was accounted for, they loaded up the bus and made their way back to the school.

"Now class, remember to write a two-page report on what you learned today to turn in tomorrow!" Ms. Bustier called as the bell rang to end the day.

Marinette waved to her friends, and opened her purse to check on Tikki once she rounded the corner.

"Talk about an adventure!" squeaked the kwami, leaning tiredly on the side of the bag.

"At least I learned one thing from today," started Marinette as she pulled open the back door of the bakery.

"The next time someone wants to go to the zoo, I'm staying home!"

* * *

 **This concludes this year's class trip! For more information on the Species Survival Plan (SSP), go to aza. org/** **species-survival-plan-programs**

 **For more on black rhinos, visit** **stlzoo** **animals/abouttheanimals/mammals/hoofedmammals/blackrhinoceros/**

 **Interested in what inspired the third chapter? Go to omahazoo exhibits/african-grasslands/**

 **Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!**


	4. Bonus: One Year Earlier

**You have asked, so you shall receive - this is the story of the class trip to the pool from the year before that Marinette had deemed 'a disaster' in the first chapter. For the sake of the fic, bear with me and pretend that the class was the same the year before, and that Alya and Adrien are already part of it. Happy reading!**

* * *

"Alright students, listen up please! For our trip this year, we are going to…the pool!"

The class cheered, and the room bubbled with excitement – or, most of the room did, anyway.

"Ugg, that is so stupid! Do you even _know_ what chlorine does to my hair!?"

"Sounds like someone's just delighted!" Alya whispered, drawing giggles from the trio around her. She was the most enthusiastic, as going to the pool had been her idea. The teens buzzed about the upcoming trip for most of the day, pausing only momentarily to learn, then quickly becoming distracted again. That afternoon, Marinette shut herself in her room and searched for what to wear.

"What do you wear to a pool party, anyway?"

Tikki looked at her like she had just turned pink herself. "A swimsuit?"

Marinette, holding a sundress in one hand and a T-shirt in the other, threw both onto the lounge sofa in front of her and looked at the kwami in exasperation.

"Tikki! _I can't swim_!"

The small red creature quickly covered her mouth with her arm and "coughed", trying (and failing) to contain her giggles.

"You might want to wear one anyway, just in case!" *snort*

The blue-haired girl sighed. "I suppose you're right. Maybe I'll want to float or something." Marinette eventually decided on a plain black one-piece suit with matching shorts, and a flowery sundress to wear over top. Her phone vibrated on her desk, and she soon found herself caught up in Alya's what-to-wear dilemma.

The next week, the day of the pool trip dawned sunny and clear.

 _Well, at least it's off to a good start,_ thought Marinette as she and Alya claimed a seat in the back of the bus. Alya, wearing a sky-blue bikini and a matching cover-up, held up a small mirror for her light-skinned friend, who spent the next several minutes rubbing in a fair amount of sunscreen and securing her wide, floppy hat. _I might like the sun,_ Marinette contemplated while she worked, _but the sun does not like me!_

The class soon arrived at the local pool, and the two girls pulled a pair of chairs closer together so that they could talk while they laid in the sun. They watched as most of the class dove straight in (they had the pool to themselves today), and Marinette almost had a heart attack while watching Adrien jump off the tallest diving board, diving so perfectly that he barely made a splash. Of course, she wasn't the only one who was watching him.

"Adri-kins!"

"Oh great," she mumbled, sharing an exasperated look with the brunette beside her. Chloe had insisted that her father drive her separate. She claimed it was because she would be running late, but everyone knew it was so that she could make her grand entrance in front of everyone. Sabrina tagged along behind her, towels in hand.

The blonde strutted to the edge of the pool, where Adrien had just surfaced and was swimming toward the edge. When he made it out of the water, she flew forward to hug him, then jumped back and shrieked at the cold water that was now seeping through her yellow silk dress. Adrien laughed and shook his hair in her direction, earning another squeal before heading back to the boards, where Nino was waiting for him.

After several minutes, Alya stood up and stretched, slipping out of her cover up and heading for the water.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? We can stay in the shallow end!"

Marinette shook her head, gesturing her friend to go on without her. Alya knew about her gracelessness in the water, but always made sure to offer, just in case she someday changed her mind. Marinette laughed as Alya, standing on the edge of the pool to test how cold it was, was sent flying into it by a howling Nino, who then jumped in after her. After trying (and failing) to dunk him in revenge, Alya ended up clinging to his back as he scaled the ladder and turned around, tickling her and dropping her in the water again, despite her squeals of protest. Marinette heard a chuckle from beside her, and realized that Adrien was now in the spot vacated by her blue-clad friend. Still smiling, he handed her a bottle of apple juice (her favorite), complete with a tiny umbrella taped to the side. She gladly accepted the cold drink, cracking the lid and taking a sip, and then un-taping the umbrella and unfolding it, sticking in the top of the bottle. Watching her, Adrien did the same, and reached out to tap his bottle against hers.

"Cheers!"

To her delight (and embarrassment), he stayed beside her for several minutes, laughing with her at their wildly outgoing friends. After a while, he set down his half-empty bottle and climbed out of the chair, diving into the water and helping Alya finally succeed in dunking his friend.

"C'mon, Marinette!"

Alya call was, of course, followed by echoes from the boys, who looked determined. If she didn't come to them, she had a strong feeling that they were going to come for her – and that she would be thrown into the pool shortly thereafter. Deciding to hold what little control she currently had over her fate, Marinette stood up and slid off her sundress and hat, walking carefully over the slick ground to the edge of the pool, where she sat and put her legs in the water. Alya, knowing better, left it at that, and a look to the boys told them to do the same.

Nino challenged Adrien to a cannonball contest, so both boys went to the diving boards, jumping off and curling into a ball mid-air, trying to out-splash the other. Alya, who wasn't much for jumping from large heights, hung onto the wall near Marinette and called out scores for each jump, eventually declaring Nino the winner (he dunked her again, anyway). Every few minutes, Chloe floated over from her deck chair to declare how "wonderful Adrien looked, don't you think Marinette?" Each time, Marinette would nod and avoid his gaze, trying to control the pink that flooded her cheeks when he looked at her (the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt really wasn't helping, either). They spent the next several hours alternately swimming and sunbathing, with Marinette applying more sunscreen every time they went back to the chairs. After a break from the water to have lunch, Nino and Alya went to wade in the shallower end and Adrien went back to the diving board. Chloe, seeing him, sauntered to stand beside Marinette near the dege as he started to climb the ladder.

"You know, I overheard a pretty interesting fact from your friend Alya just now."

Marinette tried not to look at her, as she knew it would only spur on the springy blonde.

"What are you talking about, Chloe?"

The taller girl straightened up and smirked, her hands on her hips as she leaned closer to Marinette's ear, as though to whisper some life-changing secret.

" _I know that you can't swim!"_

Marinette had just enough time to register what her nemesis had said and notice that Adrien had made it to the top of the ladder before she felt hands on her back and her feet leave the ground.

The water closed in over her head, and Marinette struggled not to panic. Flipping over in the water, she aimed for the surface and kicked, but ended up shooting sideways instead. As she began to run out of air, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull, bringing her quickly to the top, her head breaking the surface just in time. She coughed and took a deep breath, letting the arm carry her to the wall. She looked up and found not only Alya and Nino moving quickly to help her, but the lifeguards as well.

 _Wait, if they're up there, then who…?_

Marinette looked at the body connected to the arm around her waist for the first time, and almost choked on the air. Adrien got her to the ladder, which she climbed shakily, and gladly accepted the towel that was offered to her, using it to wipe off her eyes and hide her face.

"Are you okay, Mari? You sure made quite a splash!"

Marinette laughed in spite of herself, still trying to figure out what had happened. She knew that Chloe had pushed her, but hadn't Adrien been on the diving board when she went in? Seeing her face, he answered her un-asked question.

"I saw you fall in and noticed that all of the lifeguards were on the other end of the pool helping Sabrina, so I dove in beside you to get you out."

Marinette smiled and stuttered her thanks, finding slight joy in Chloe's frustrated stammering (clearly, she had not intended for Adrien to be the hero). Alya led her back to the chairs, and the lifeguards made sure that she was really okay before going back to their stations. Marinette spent most of the afternoon safely on the deck, and the trio rotated, so that she was never sitting alone. They traded jokes and stories, and Adrien and Marinette laughed until their sides hurt when Alya finally managed to dunk Nino on her own (Marinette had a sneaking suspicion that Nino had let her take him under, but she wasn't about to tell Alya that). When it was time to go, the girls pulled on their dresses and the boys retrieved their shirts, wrapping themselves in towels for the bus ride back to the school.

"Soooooo, it wasn't all bad, was it?" Alya asked, nudging her shoulder as Marinette looked out the window at the fading water.

The blue-haired girl smiled. "I guess not…but next year, there had better not be any cat-astrophes!"


End file.
